Races of Aboris and Beyond
Aboris is home to many different races. Humans Humans make up 60% to 65% of the Empire of Vecracan. While only making up about half the population, they have a disproportionate representation in the various government and other positions of power within the Empire. Some believe this is because most other races mostly care about what happens to their race and local area, but others believe that since the original lands of Vecracan were mostly human, those were the ones that were promoted to watch over acquired lands. Humans can also be found as members or slaves of the Tribal Kingdom of Feridan. Dwarves Dwarves can be found throughout Aboris wherever their skills can be appreciated and have a decent population in cities such as Redcourt and Hamath. The Kingdom of Aglarond is almost 100% populated by dwarves. Duegar can also be found underneath Aboris, though their exact numbers are unknown. Elves Elves can be found all over Aboris, though they only have concentrated populations around Lyguin and Carrigan and a small quarter in Ethos. The Kingdom of Allanor is believed to be entirely elvish as that is the only race seen in the trade port of Blackwatch. Drow also exist below Aboris and are believed to be behind the fall of Fallmoure. Halflings Halflings are common all throughout Vecracan. Most can be found farming the plains south of Arca, but many can be found in any city or village you travel through. Dragonborn Though few in number, tribes of dragonborn can be found throughout Aboris, though they are most common in the mountainous regions. While they rarely venture into cities, it is rare for there not to be at least one in large cities such as Ethos or Devonshire. Rumors are whispered that some of the tribes serve dragons or other powers, though they have never been substantiated. Gnomes The Realm of Krunbar is home to almost all the gnomes on Aboris. Ethos is the only town outside of Krunbar that boasts a significant enough population to be noted. Some gnomes have moved further east and live in the forests and mountains there, but they generally keep to themselves. Half-Elves There aren't a significant number of half-elves in Aboris, but those that exist seem to have scattered across it to find their place in the world. Half-Orcs and Orcs Half-orcs and orcs are native to the Tribal Kingdom of Feridan and makeup the backbone of their raiding parties. Many innocents in Aboris have been slain or enslaved by those raiding parties. Half-orcs and orcs that have been allowed to stay for whatever reason are still looked upon with a sense of distrust from the populous. Tieflings Tieflings are few and far between in Aboris. Those that exist tend to keep to themselves and stay away from others of their kind to avoid trouble. While treated with slightly less suspicion than orcs and half-orcs, most that do business with tieflings do so quickly in the hopes that the tiefling will leave quicker as well. Goblins, Hobgoblins, and Bugbears Goblins, hobgoblins, and bugbears are a rare sight in Aboris, but that hasn't always been the case. Feridan once was full of them and they often traveled north into Aboris to raid, trade, or just follow their whims. This changed several hundred years ago when the second Khan began consolidating power. Maglubiyet, the god of goblinoids, sent omens and gathered a Host of almost all the goblinoid tribes. He would not allow the insult of losing control of his worshipers to a Khan a second time. Unfortunately for the goblinoids, they lost badly. The vast majority of the host was slaughtered in the field, some few escaped to Aboris, and those that remained were enslaved. Goblinoids still makeup the backbone of slaves throughout the tribes of Feridan. Kobolds Hundreds of years ago, kobolds served powerful dragons and raided Aboris and Feridan before those dragons were slain. These days, they try to avoid interaction with other races as any hostile actions will lead their tribe being hunted down and destroyed. Small tribes of kobolds live in the mountains throughout Aboris. In the Tribal Kingdom of Feridan, most kobolds live as slaves. Other rare races * Aasimar: Many noble families within Aboris make claims that they are descended from gods, but few are right. Those that actually are descended from celestials rarely brag about it as it can draw unwanted attention to them and their descendants. These days, aasimar seem to be appearing less often than legends account for, but some do exist that are trying to make their mark on the world. * Centaurs: Records of centaurs exist in the earliest histories in Aboris. They have roamed the great plains and forests and have stayed out of politics as much as they can. In fact, they try to avoid civilization as much as they can, though that is getting harder as Vecracan's cities expand in its golden age. Centaurs seen in towns are usually ones that have rejected their heritage to find their place in the greater world. * Firbolgs: The only place in Aboris that firbolgs are known to reside is within the northern portion of the island of Knossos. They are incredibly secretive and refuse access to outsiders. If words won't sway a trespasser, these firbolgs aren't above using force. * Genasi: The number of known genasi in Aboris can probably be counted on two hands. They tend to do their own thing or what their nature tells them to do and the people of Aboris generally treat them as curiousities. * Goliaths: Hundreds of years ago, many tribes of goliaths roamed Feridan and competed with all of the other tribes. When the first Khan began conquering and incorporating Feridan, the goliaths fought against him and were slaughtered. Those that survived fled to Aboris where a few tribes still live in the mountain ranges. The people of Aboris are content to leave them in peace to practice their traditions. The Volsung Clan continued north and now live in Serin. * Kenku: No one seems to know where the kenku come from. Some say from Feridan and others from the Forbidden Lands. Either way, most view them as bad luck but will still talk and trade with them. * Lizardfolk: The only lizardfolk within Aboris live in the swamps south of Redcourt. The many lizardfolk tribes are extremely territorial, but no kingdom has bothered fighting with them as all but the lizardfolk find the land useless. lizardfolk only rarely stray from their swamp, and those that do are usually exiled. * Minotaurs: Depending on who you talk to, minotaurs are either revered or despised, but they are almost universally feared. In Feridan, they makeup the strongest and most vicious of the tribes and a Khan's favorite shock troops. In fact, two of the three Khans were minotaurs. Raiding parties into Aboris were many times worse if a few minotaur were included. At the same time, the few tribes of minotaur that lived in Aboris were horrified by these actions and would come to the defense of the people of Aboris against them. * Simic Hybrids: During the past decade of the golden age of Vecracan, some wizards experimented on themselves or others to augment their abilities. Some were successes and others were horrible failures that resulted in collateral damage. The few that survived these experiments receive many strange looks whenever they leave their homes. * Tabaxi: A few tribes of tabaxi roam the Tribal Kingdom of Feridan, but seem to be more independent than most of the other tribes. While these tribes do launch raids into Aboris from time to time, the tabaxi are still treated with less hostility than half-orcs and orcs. * Tritons: Among all the races of Aboris, only genasi are a rarer sight than a triton. Among the common folk, rumors and stories speak of an underwater kingdom in The Great Ocean, but no triton will tell stories of home. The few triton that have appeared always seemed to be looking for something, but it isn't known, at least commonly, what they were looking for or if each triton was even looking for the same thing. * Tortles: A few small communities of tortles live throughout Aboris, but between their small numbers and their lack of political ambition, the regional powers tend to leave them be. * Vedalken: Vedalken are an ancient race that is completely new to Aboris. About 100 years ago, a portal opened in the middle Old Knossos and thousands of vedalken streamed out of it, running in absolute terror. Something attempted to follow them, but it destabilized the portal and caused a massive explosion. The death toll was massive for both the residents of Old Knossos as well as for the vedalken who made it through. Among the few hundred vedalken that survived, no one knew what the creature chasing them was nor why the portal had lead them here. Their entire history also seemed to be lost as the oldest among the survivors had barely reached maturity for the race and most of the rest were half that age. Most of these vedalken have since settled into the libraries and universities in Ethos.